Senate approves P27.36 billion budget for Office of the President

The Senate Committee on Finance has swiftly approved the proposed P27.36 billion budget for the Office of the President (OP) for fiscal year 2026.

Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian, who heads the Finance committee, approved the proposed budget in a hearing that lasted about 40 minutes.

The budget was swiftly passed in line with the long-standing parliamentary courtesy extended to the sitting president.

The OP sought a 72% increase for budget allocation for 2026, citing the Philippines' hosting of the ASEAN Summit next year.

The Presidential Management Staff (PMS) proposed an P882 million budget for next year.

The budget also breezed through the House Appropriations committee, despite some lawmakers' push to have the OP explain its P4.5 billion allocation to confidential and intelligence funds.

The issue of confidential and intelligence funds was not raised in the Senate, where senators focused on security preparations for the upcoming ASEAN summit.